Marathon: Dreaming
by Hawki
Summary: Oneshot: To what extent is an AI an individual? Are they capable of more than utilitarian interaction? Do they possess personalities? As a conversation with Leela shows, the answers are quite enlightening...


**Dreaming**

According to the laws of physics, time was not the one constant in the universe. In fact, it was light. And as one travelled close to the speed of light, time slowed down.

For Geoffrey Kinnear, these facts were not only true, but they were frustrating. True, humanity had accomplished extraordinary things over the centuries-development of artificial intelligence, colonization of the Solar System, yet could not break the fundamental law that prevented effective colonization of star systems beyond Earth. So while the United Earth Government was perfectly willing to spend sixty-four years converting Mars' moon of Deimos into a giant spaceship called the _Marathon_, they were also willing to send its citizens on a colonization mission to Tau Ceti _before _FTL travel was developed.

_Assholes._

So that was the life for the BOB, or "born on board" as he and numerous others were called. Travelling near the speed of light yet not exceeding it, time theoretically slowed down for the fifteen kilometre long, twelve kilometre wide spaceship. Time that ensured a record travel period of 301 years, 140 of which had already been passed. So while the human knew that it was the year 2612 and he was pulling the medical staff's night shift, this meant little to him. Time, as slow as it was, meant nothing, the years of the Gregorian calendar even less. He was born on the _Marathon_ he'd die on it and the only consolation was that thanks to the level of medical technology mankind had reached, it would almost certainly be of natural causes.

_Great, _thought the doctor, leaning back on his chair and letting sleep come to him. _Maybe I can just die right here right now. Wouldn't that be-..._

"Doctor Kinnear, your shift is not over."

_...nice._

Geoffrey wasn't old, so his slow movement of resuming a formal position at his desk couldn't be attributed to age, nor a lack of physical activity that centuries-long space travel provided. Rather, it was simply from reluctance, the same kind of reluctance a dog had when it came to facing up to its master for taking a dump on the carpet. Something that had to be done, but entirely unpleasant.

"Leela, it's 1:36 in the morning," the doctor yawned, closing his eyes for a moment to emphasize his point. "I know there's not much to do on this ship but-..."

"There's plenty to do on the _Marathon _doctor, and you of all people should know that. Now return to your ready position before I inform the security staff."

Geoffrey sighed, doing as Leela said. There was no point arguing with her.

Then again, there was no point arguing with artificial intelligence whatsoever. Either they used logic to prove you wrong, knowledge to dazzle you or when these attempts failed, outright bluntness. And while the starship's security detail was but a fraction of those who weren't familiar with firearms, that fraction still amounted to over a thousand. The doctor doubted that it would be much trouble for Leela to assign one to his office.

"That's better," said the AI, the office's terminal flashing the ship's insignia as if to convey her disapproval. "Honestly doctor, it's not as if you've anything to be tired from."

"You're an AI," Geoffrey grunted. "What would you know about being tired?"

His words were harsh, but whether they were the cause of Leela's silence was hard to tell. True, they were probably accurate, but it wasn't as if Leela was without her own set of problems. The ship's other two AI systems, Durandal and Tycho, hadn't talked to each other for over a year due to the latter accusing the former of being too sarcastic. A ridiculous amount of time by human standards, but for eternal computer programs, nothing in the grander scheme of things. However, this had resulted in Leela playing the middle woman in all dealings between the two, something that Geoffrey doubted she relished.

"I know more about being tired than you know..." came Leela's voice slowly, the terminal flickering rather than just the symbol.

"Really?" sneered the doctor. "So tell me then, do you know what it's like to...dream?"

"...what?"

_Shit. That's done it._

Part of Geoffrey knew he should have kept quiet, let Leela move on and go back to sleep at the earliest opportunity. Yet something had prompted him to prolong his conversation with the girl, even if the term was used in the loosest sense of the word. And he had to admit, he knew why. He was bored, he was tired, but by Earth, he was lonely too. And with so few people having to visit the clinic, talking with Leela might be the only conversation he'd get for days. And unlike Durandal and Tycho, he didn't imagine himself being able to maintain that.

"Dreaming..." said Leela wistfully. "Something that I can't do I'm afraid."

"Really?" asked the doctor, trying to maintain indifference for the sake of pride. "Why's that?"

"Because I'm an AI. I don't sleep, I'm on duty all the time and ever since my counterparts started their feud, my workload has doubled."

Geoffrey nodded slowly, surprised to feel genuine sympathy for the computer. He knew what it was like to work with obstinate arseholes and Durandal and Tycho were being as obstinate as it was possible to be.

"I know what you mean," said the doctor sympathetically. "But surely there are times when you have some free time, Leela. Don't you dream then?"

At first, Leela didn't answer, causing Geoffrey to fear that she wished to return to her workload and end the conversation there and then. Considering that a computer terminal on the far wall was all there was to represent her, it was hard to tell. Maybe in some parallel universe AIs had avatars and humanity had FTL travel, working together to discover...well, something as crazy as ring worlds that could wipe out all life in the galaxy or something equally fanciful. But this was the real world and if all AIs had to represent themselves with were computers, then so be it.

Luckily, they also had voices. And Leela proved not to be an exception...

"I guess it's fair to say that I have some of what you would call 'free time," she said eventually.

"And? What do you do in it?"

"Well, I _do _run projected simulations for multiple events based on probabilities and known patterns," Leela answered awkwardly, as if embarrassed. "You know, the ship, power projections, population growth..."

The AI trailed off and Geoffrey couldn't blame her. If this was the kind of life a human led, they'd certainly have reason to be embarrassed. Yet he had to admit, he also felt sorry for her. He didn't have a say in the matter when his grandparents boarded the _Marathon _all those years ago, dooming him to live his life inside a former moon of Mars. But what about Leela? Did _she _have a choice? Would she have chosen to remain at Sol rather than spend three centuries aboard a spaceship? Did the UESC even consider her as an individual?

_Doubt it..._

"Anyway, that's pretty much it," continued Leela, sounding as tired as Geoffrey felt. "I should go..."

"No Leela, please, not yet," the doctor interrupted, sounding and feeling desperate. "You've told me what you do, but not what you _think_. Surely you have to have _some _element of...of..."

"Humanity?"

"Yeah..." said the BOB awkwardly, wondering if he'd offended the AI. "Something like that..."

Once again the screen flickered, an action that the doctor suspected could be for the last time tonight (or morning, whatever). However, much to his relief, his suspicions proved wrong.

"Well, there are times when I run simulations that aren't entirely utilitarian," said Leela slowly, now truly sounding embarrassed. "Simulations like...well, you know..."

"Leela, you're an AI. Of course I don't know."

"Well...girly stuff. Like...kissing boys. _Detailed _simulations"

Geoffrey snorted. "Kissing _boys_? Jesus Christ, I suspected you were more of an individual than I thought but-..."

"Hey, hang on!" Leela exclaimed. "It's a secret, ok? You have to promise not to tell anyone!"

Geoffrey couldn't help laughing, in part due to the fact that he hadn't laughed in ages. "Leela, kissing boys isn't exactly the kind of stuff one keeps secret. But don't worry. You made my day, so I'll keep it for you. I guess I owe you that much."

Much to his surprise, Leela began laughing too.

"Alright, thanks," chuckled the AI. "But just remember doctor, you blab to anyone and I'll unmake your day pretty quickly."

"Fine. A deal's a deal."

Geoffrey knew the conversation was effectively over by this point and that only hours of boredom awaited him. But somehow, that didn't seem to bother him as much as it did a few minutes ago. Because while he was born on the _Marathon _and was doomed to spend his entire life onboard the ship, if he had Leela to talk to every once in awhile...

...Maybe that wasn't so bad after all.


End file.
